I bow to you, my faithful readers, and take the stage to present... Creative Gene's iGene Awards for 2011!

Best Comedy

I'm not much of a comedic writer but like anyone, funny things do happen to me. In Memories of My MC I write about one such event. It wasn't funny at the time, but it sure gives me a chuckle to remember it. It gets the iGene Award for Best Comedy.

Best Biography

I always find it challenging to write about family members I've never met and who I have very little information about. Such was the case with my Grandma Carrie. When I wrote Sweet Caroline, I struggled to come up with photos and stories about her. But in the end, I think I ended up with a pretty good article summarizing her life. It gets the iGene Award for Best Biography.

Best Documentary

My visit to PARI resulted in a 6-part series of articles detailing the many features the Polonica Americana Research Institute has to offer. It's a true gem for Detroit-area Polish genealogy researchers. Located on the grounds of scenic Orchard Lake, it is a facility to be proud of! PARI, Part 1, Who, What, When, Where, and Why (and the 5 other segments of this series) get the iGene Award for Best Documentary.

Best Screen Play

I'd love to see a Food Network show about Polish cooking. I would offer my article, Duck Blood Soup, Breakfast of Champions, to the creators as inspiration for one of the episodes. I don't know if the TFN has any Polish chefs on staff but I do know that Martha (Kostyra) Stewart is Polish and a good cook as well so I'm going to cast her in the leading behind-the-stove role. So, Duck Blood Soup gets the iGene Award as Best Screen Play! (Martha's photo from Wikipedia)

Best Picture

The iGene Award in this year's Best Picture category goes to, The Summer of '42. I just love these photos of my mom and her best friend posing for the camera. I think they must have been having a wonderful time on a hot summer day in the city!

That wraps up this year's awards. I hope you enjoyed the show! Stay tuned to see what will appear here on Creative Gene in 2012.